


From the Heart

by Moonfireflight



Series: Elilahra Ardens [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Amaurotine Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Fluff, Gen, In which I blame Elilahra for more creatures around the world, and she continues to pine after Lahabrea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:53:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23990374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonfireflight/pseuds/Moonfireflight
Summary: This was my piece for the Amaurotine Zine! It was focused on creation, so I decided to have fun with the idea of Elilahra trying to make things to help out someone who inspires her.
Series: Elilahra Ardens [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1656427
Kudos: 5
Collections: Ktísis: A Final Fantasy XIV Fanzine





	From the Heart

“You missed!” 

“Did not! It moved too quickly,” said another child, giggling despite her complaints. 

Hecate let her back settle against a wall, the chill of shadowed stone seeping through her robes. Amaranthine leaves drifted down around her as she watched a group of children invent a game based on her newest creation. At least it was making someone happy. 

_ “It’s an inkwell that will keep itself filled and will never be out of reach!”  _

_ For a long moment, the only sound in Lahabrea’s office was the erratic pitter-pattering of tiny feet that left a trail of inky prints across a sprawling parchment. The two Amaurotines silently observed the swaying creature as it came precariously close to spilling its bounty across The Speaker’s desk. Finally, he’d had enough. He gingerly picked it up, its legs flailing helplessly in the air as he handed it back to its creator. “I… appreciate the thought.”  _

She smiled at her creation’s antics and the joy it brought the young ones, but behind her mask, Hecate was fighting back tears. There had to be something she could create that would ease that fool man’s workload. He was always taking on new projects and refusing to delegate his work. On the rare occasion they had the leisure to chat, it warmed Hecate’s heart to see how he lit up when describing his creations. Yet lately he’d been mired in paperwork. Giving him time to create again would be a boon for the star, no doubt. 

***

After eons in service, the Ademus Municipal Library was nearly full to bursting. Every shelf was laden with tomes, scrolls, and recordings dating back to the early days of Amaurot. “Thank you so much for donating your lovely creations, miss. Though I’m still in my early ten thousands, keeping up with cleaning and sorting everything has been getting difficult.” 

The librarian bent down to pat the furry white creature between its massive ears. With a graceful bow that befit her station, Hecate humbly accepted the matron’s thanks. Once out of sight, she let out a yawn that seemed to take with it the last of her strength. Her latest creation had taken two days of near-constant work to complete. She had been nodding off at her desk, staving off sleep with various teas and potions. It had worked for a while, but after this morning’s failures, she was ready to collapse in bed for the next year. 

_ “What is this?” asked The Speaker, his shoulders tensing. He gave her a tight smile and set about moving his most important papers and scrolls into a neat pile, surreptitiously setting a large crystal matrix upon them to keep them from... wandering off.  _

_ “This creature can fetch you anything you need so you don’t have to get up while you’re busy!” _

_ “Is that so? Creature. Bring me my journal from the second shelf of the leftmost bookcase.” They both watched as the gremlin scampered to the bookshelf, then stretched up on its tiptoes, futilely trying to reach its goal. “Anything, so long as it is on the floor, perhaps?”  _

_ “Well, I…,” Her reply was interrupted by the gremlin barreling into her legs. It immediately spun around to run towards the bookcase and heave itself at the shelf with that running start. It managed to grab the edge, dangling briefly before pulling itself up. Her moment of triumph was dashed as the gremlin began pulling books off the shelf, flinging them to the floor one by one.  _

_ Lahabrea bounded up from his chair, but Hecate was already gathering up the squirming beastie in her arms despite its futile protests. “That is it! No more letting your creations loose in my office!” When even Hecate’s mask could not hide her disappointment, The Speaker softened. “Look. It’s not… bad. Take it to the library. I feel that a use could be found for it, but just not here. I have work to do, and I’m the only one who can finish it.”  _

Considering the damage her gremlin had already done to his books, she’d expected another disaster. Yet the librarian was able to wrangle her creature with ease, putting him to work straight away. It soothed her heart a little to know her creation could help a vital part of the city, if not the one she intended. 

***

With a longing look at her jumbled notes and diagrams, Hecate gathered herself up to apologize to the man she’d bothered so these last few days. Once confident that she had brought only herself to his office, The Speaker set his work to the side and bid her take a seat. “What makes you think of them as failures?” 

She eyed the pile of books still scattered about the floor and a few errant splatters of black about his desk. “They made a mess of your office and didn’t help you at all.” 

“Hecate. Do the children not delight in the games they play with your creation?” She nodded. “And did you know that the librarian reported to me that your delivery is making her life much easier? No no, don’t say ‘but’. There are no failures in life, only lessons to be learned. All creations have their place and contribute to the star.”

“Thank you, Speaker. Still, I wish I could assist you in some way.”

He gave her a soft smile. “Then, after you clean up the books your gremlin has festooned my office with, sit back down here with me. You’ve shown an impressive level of creativity, and I would trust your judgment on these matters.”

A warm, fluttery feeling bubbled up in Hecate’s chest as she thanked him and set about her task. Indeed, her creations could not be considered failures when born from the heart. 


End file.
